semiconductor industry

Samsung is expected to more than double its output of HBM4 and HBM4E high-bandwidth memory DRAM, according to sources cited by South Korean outlet Sedaily. The expansion signals Samsung's push to scale up next-generation memory supply amid booming demand from AI chipmakers, where it faces intense competition with SK Hynix in the high-bandwidth memory market.

ASML, the Dutch maker of advanced semiconductor equipment, says it is not selling its chipmaking machines in Europe, warning that the region risks falling behind the United States, China and India in the semiconductor race. The statement is drawing attention as Europe pushes to build its own chip industry while competitors invest heavily in domestic manufacturing capacity.

ASML, the Dutch company that dominates lithography equipment for chip manufacturing, has said it currently sells no chipmaking machines within Europe. The remark highlights how little advanced semiconductor production actually happens on the continent, even as EU policymakers push to build up domestic chipmaking capacity and reduce reliance on Asia and the United States.

Reporting from Taipei frames Taiwan as the potential deciding factor in the escalating technology rivalry between the United States and China. Taiwan's tech industry produces more than 90 percent of the world's most advanced semiconductors, the chips that power AI servers, giving the island outsized strategic importance as both superpowers compete for dominance in artificial intelligence.

Taiwan's dominance in semiconductor manufacturing, led by TSMC, is being described as a 'silicon shield' that deters Chinese aggression while making the island indispensable to the United States in the AI era. As artificial intelligence drives global demand for advanced chips, control over Taiwan's chip industry has become central to both its security and US strategic interests, intensifying debate over cross-strait tensions.

India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has urged increased investment in artificial intelligence and semiconductor manufacturing. She positioned the sectors as key to India's economic and technological ambitions, aligning with the government's push to attract chip fabrication projects and build AI capacity. The remarks come as countries compete for investment in these strategic industries.

Apple and Qualcomm have renewed their chip licensing agreement, extending a business relationship that has swung between partnership and litigation over the years. Qualcomm supplies modem chips for iPhones under licensing terms, and the renewal keeps that arrangement in place. The deal matters for the semiconductor and smartphone industries since both companies depend on the continued supply relationship.

New data from South Korea shows that nearly four out of ten reported leaks of industrial technology involve semiconductor-related know-how. The figures underline growing concern in Seoul over the theft of critical chip technology, a sector central to the country's economy and to intensifying global competition over semiconductor supply chains.

Automotive localisation in India is advancing beyond chip manufacturing into complete smart factory capability, according to ET Auto. The shift means domestic players are moving up the technology stack, building higher-value manufacturing systems rather than only producing components, reflecting broader efforts to deepen self-reliance in the auto and semiconductor supply chain.